Ejecting receptacle for plastic ice tray

ABSTRACT

A box-like ice block collecting receptacle and flexible multiple compartment freezing tray combination which allows the tray with its frozen contents to be inverted and supported on the receptacle by means of cooperating raised support surfaces arranged intermediate each of the side and end walls adjacent its upper open end. The tray is supported in a horizontal manner whereby either pair of unsupported diagonally opposed tray corners can be flexed downwardly out of a horizontal plane for twisting the tray and distorting the compartments to harvest ice cubes into the container. The container additionally provides for the tray to be nested in an upright or inverted position on the storage container in lid-like fashion.

United States Patent Fogt [54] EJECTING RECEPTACLE FOR PLASTIC ICE TRAY [72] inventor: Thomas H. Fogt, West Carrollton,

Ohio

[73] Assignee: General Motors Corporation,

Detroit, Mich.

[221 Filed: April 12, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 133,271

3,412,572 11/1968 Kesling ..62/344 [451 Oct. 10,1972

Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner Attorney-William S. Pettigrew, Frederick M. Ritchie and Edward P. Barthel ABSTRACT A box-like ice block collecting receptacle and flexible multiple compartment freezing tray combination which allows the tray with its frozen contents to be inverted and supported on the receptacle by means of cooperating raised support surfaces arranged intermediate each of the side and end walls adjacent its upper open end. The tray is supported in a horizontal manner whereby either pair of unsupported diagonally opposed tray corners can be flexed downwardly out of a horizontal plane for twisting the tray and distorting the compartments to harvest ice cubes into the container. The container additionally provides for the tray to be nested in an upright or inverted position on the storage container in lid-like fashion.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing figures PHENTED E 10 3. 696, 635

SHEET 1 [1F 2 I VENTOR ATTORNEY PATENTEUucnomz 3.696.635

sum a nr 2 7/9 7 awed/M ATTORNEY EJECTING REC EPTACLE FOR PLASTIC ICE TRAY This invention pertains to freezing trays and receptacles for frozen liquids, and more particularly to an ice harvesting combination tray and receptacle for use within or without household refrigerator cabinets to effect ejection of ice blocks from the flexible tray into the ice storage receptacle of the combination.

It has been proposed to eject ice and other frozen liquids from a flexible multiple compartment freezing tray by twisting the tray in inverted position over the open top of a collecting receptacle. Examples of such arrangements are found in US. Pat. No. 3,053,058 issued Sept. 11, 1962 to R. C. Voightmann, and US. Pat. No. 3,159,935 issued Dec. 8, I964 to L. M. Keighley. The freezing trays in such prior art devices have not been supportable on their receptacles both in an upright and inverted fashion so as to act as a cover to seal the ice pieces within the receptacle from the surrounding atmosphere. Further, the prior trays must be held in place in an unbalanced condition such that only a certain unsupported corner or corners may be subjected to downward pressure to apply a twisting ice release force to the tray.

It is an object of this invention to provide a rectangular flexible ice tray and portable ice storage receptacle ice harvesting apparatus or combination wherein the tray member is readily placed in an inverted position upon the receptacle member to be oriented in a horizontal manner such that ice pieces may be ejected from the tray into the receptacle by depressing either pair of diagonally opposed unsupported corners of the tray.

It is another object of this invention to provide a rectangular flexible freezing tray and ice storage receptacle combination wherein the tray is nestable in an upright position on the ice collecting receptacle such that the freezing tray serves as a cover and closes the open top of the receptacle to protect the ice pieces therein from the surrounding atmosphere.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawing;

FIG. I is a view in perspective of an improved flexible freezing tray and ice storage receptacle showing the tray in an inverted ice harvesting position on the container;

FIG. 2 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in section showing an inverted freezing tray and receptacle with the receptacle nested on an upright tray;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the receptacle of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the receptacle and nested upright freeing tray;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view of a modified form of the receptacle with inverted freezing tray thereon;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section of the receptacle of FIG. 6 taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a flexible freezing tray 20 formed of suitable resilient plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or rubber, either natural or synthetic. The tray 20 is provided with an integral grid 22 including a central partition 24 extending longitudinally from the front wall 26 to the rear wall 28. The grid 22 includes transversely extending partitions 30 having an inverted V-shaped cross section each of which intersects the longitudinal partition 24 and extends in opposite directions to the side walls 32. Complete description of the freezing tray 20 is found in co-pending US. Patent application Ser. No. 13,953, filed Nov. l0, I970, the disclosure of which is incorportated by reference herein and for a detailed description of the freezing tray reference should be had to the above copending application.

As seen in FIG. 2 the tray front wall 26 is in an inverted semi-V-shaped section forming a downwardly directed flange 33 terminating in an outwardly directed horizontal wide rim 34 while the rear wall 28 is similarly formed with a downwardly directed flange 35 and a wide rim 36 to provide convenient handles at each end of the tray as well as an ice bucket nesting rim in a manner to be explained.

As seen in FIG. 4, sidewalls 32 are similarly provided with downwardly directed flanges 37 having a rather narrow side rim 38 extending outwardly from the end thereof and in co-planar relation with the wide rims 34 and 36. The ends of the longitudinal partition 24 and the transverse partitions 30 are joined to the front and rear walls 26 and 28 and to the side walls 32 in an integral manner as shown.

The central partition 24 has an upstanding longitudinal guide rib 40 formed a defined distance above the top edges of the side walls 32, front and rear walls 26, 28 and the transverse intermediate partitions 30b and 30f. The end transverse partitions 30a and 30g have their top edges formed a defined distance below the intermediate partitions as explained in the co-pending Patent application Ser. No. l3,953. The longitudinal guide rib 40 has its ends sloped downwardly or cammed at 41 and 42 forming depressed indents 43, 44 the bottoms of which are located below the top edges of the end walls 26, 28. [n the form shown the sloped guide rib cam portions 4], 42 are each formed at an angle approximately 45" inclined to the horizontal.

The central partition 24 is molded with an inverted V-shaped cross section providing a plurality of opposed inboard inclined longitudinal walls 46, 47 for the two rows of freezing compartments of the tray with each row having substantially planar bottom walls 49 with the inboard walls 46, 47 diverging upwardly therefrom at an angle of inclination away from the vertical which in the disclosed form is an angle of approximately I 1%", or substantially equal to the angle of inclination of the side walls 32. The integral transverse partitions 30 similarly have an inverted V-shaped cross section forming a plurality of opposed compartment transverse or cross walls 51, 52 extending from the central partition 24 so as to define upwardly diverging compartment walls which in the preferred form of the invention are inclined at an angle from the vertical approximately I lie" in a manner similar to the longitudinal walls 46, 47. Thus, the transverse and longitudinal partitions together with the ice tray front, rear and side walls defined generally rectangular, open top paired intermediate pockets or compartments 48 and end compartments 4S and 50 for receiving water to be frozen into ice blocks within the freezing chamber of a refrigerator cabinet.

As seen in FIG. 1 the portion of the longitudinal channel 55 between adjoining compartment inboard longitudinal walls 46, 47 of the two pair of end freezer compartments 45, 50 have wedge shaped tray locking guides 57, 58 extending downwardly so as to be substantially coextensive with the compartment bottom walls 49 and spanning the channel therebetween. The locking guides 57, 58 have shallow V-shaped notches 59, 60 respectively formed therein shaped to engage the longitudinal guide rib 40 on the lower tray to allow the tray to track or slide on the longitudinal guide rib of an underlying tray to vertically align a horizontally spaced block position, as explained in the co-pending application Ser. No. 88,388.

As further seen in FIG. 1 a pair of wedge-shaped support fillets indicated at 61, 62 are formed between opposed inboard walls 46, 47 and two pair of laterally ad joining intermediate compartments 48 and extend downwardly substantially coextensive with the bottom walls 49 thereof in a manner similar to the locking guides 57, 58. The intermediate support fillets 61, 62 have deep U-shaped grooves 63, 64 shaped to engage the longitudinal guide rib 40 of an underlying tray such that when a freezing tray is stacked above another tray the U-shaped grooves 63, 64 are aligned to receive the rib 40.

Longitudinally disposed webs, indicated at 65 and 66 in FIG. I, are oriented adjacent the outboard end of each transverse channel and extend downwardly to be coextensive with the bottom walls 49 of the compartments. The webs 65, 66 insure that the tray may be readily slid onto or off a shelf such as a wire-grill type shelf without having the shelf edge or the wire rods engaging the transverse channels 53 formed between the compartments 48 imparting an unwanted jarring of the tray. It will be observed that the end compartments 45 and 50 are formed with their bottom walls having their outboard leading corners chamfered, indicated at 70 in FIGS. 1 and 2 to assist an overlying tray in its travel over the transverse partitions 30b30f when the trays are slid relative to each other.

Referring now to the ice collecting receptacle of FIGS. 1 through 4, there is shown a receptacle or bin 80 formed of a suitable material such as high impact polystyrene in the disclosed form having a uniform thickness of approximately 0.09 inch. It will be appreciated, however, that other suitable materials such as linear polyethylene or acrylic butadiene styrene could be used as well as metallic material without departing from the scope of the invention. The five-wall generally rectangular container 80 has two opposite long side walls 82, 84; end wall 86, 88 and bottom wall 90 providing an open top box-like structure. The receptacle 80 is also provided with longitudinal and transverse inner marginal ledge means 92 and 94 at its upper surface formed by outwardly directed integral flanges. in the preferred form the longitudinal side ledges 92, 93 and the transverse end ledges 94, 95 have a generally gable-shaped configuration with the side ledges 92, 93 each comprising two opposed and angularly disposed sloping members 96,97 (FIG. 2) and the end ledges 94, 95 each have similar sloping members 98 and 99 (FIG. 4). The side sloping members 96, 97 extend outwardly and downwardly from crest or ridge portions 102, 103 of the gable at substantially equal an gles, which in the preferred form are approximately 6 from the horizontal, while the sloping end members 98, 99 are oriented at an angle of approximately 12 from the horizontal. The outer end of each side and end sloping member preferably terminates at its associated vertical corner juncture of the container at a common elevation thereby permitting the gable-shaped ledges 92, 93 and 94, to each provide horizontal supporting crest areas or pads 102, 103 and 104, 105 so as to be located in turn intermediate each pair of adjacent corner junctures. The four crest areas thus support the intermediate upper edge portions of the sides and ends of the tray 20 when in an inverted position in horizontal fashion by engaging the approximate midpoint of the side and end walls of the tray as shown in FIG. 2.

In the preferred form the side crest areas 102, 103 extend approximately 0.76 inch and the end crest areas 104, 105 approximately 0.26 inch. In the instant embodiment the side crest areas I02, 103 increased length serves to insure close tolerance engagement with the outer sides of the adjacent pair of tray ice compartments to prevent excessive play or skewing movement in a horizontal plane when the tray is nested in an upright position on the receptacle. It will be noted however that the crest areas could be reduced in size to provide substantially "knife-edge or ridge type supports for modified flexible tray designs without departing from the scope of the invention.

As seen in FIG. 4 the collecting receptacle 80 is also provided with upwardly extending side flanges extending along the outer margin of the upwardly facing tray supporting longitudinal ledges 92 and 93 while downwardly extending side flanges 112 also extend along the longitudinal ledges 92, 93 in a continuous manner. Corresponding upwardly and downwardly extending end flanges H4, H6 are provided on the transverse ledges 94 of the receptacle 80. The receptacle is also provided with horizontal outwardly directed side ribs 118 and wide-end flange receptacle handles [20 and 122. it will thus be seen that the side flanges I10 and end flanges 1 l4 enclose the upwardly facing gableshaped ledges 92, 93, 94 and 95 within the confines ofa rectangularly shaped frame. The rectangularly-shaped frame is dimensioned so as to receive the upper edges of the upstanding front walls 26, rear walls 28 and side walls 32 of an inverted freezing tray 20 in nested lidlike fashion to effectively seal the open top of the receptacle from the surrounding atmosphere and thereby inhibit the contamination or melting of the ice pieces contained in the receptacle 80.

The upstanding rectangular frame formed by side and end flanges H0, H4 serves to guide an inverted freezing tray 20 into proper position on the intermediate ridge pads 102-105 such that diagonally opposed unsupported corners of the tray may be flexed downwardly out of their horizontal plane for twisting the tray and distorting the compartments with the resultant harvesting of ice cubes downwardly into the receptacle 80. Thus, when the tray is properly positioned on the receptacle it is engaged by the support pads and distortion of the tray is effected by manually depressing either pair of diagonally opposed corners of the tray until they engage the vertical corners formed at the terminus of the sloping members 96-99.

It is seen from FIG. 4 that when the tray is in an upright position on the receptacle the upper edges of the frame provide a continuous support for the side and end flanges of the tray. lt will also be appreciated that by virtue of applicants concept of allowing the tray to be flexed downwardly at a pair of diagonally opposed corners until the pair of tray corners engage the receptacle comers adjacent the junctures of the longitudinal and transverse ledges 92 twisting of the tray is limited. This arrangement not only prevents permanent distortion of the tray in that the tray retains sufficient resilience to return from its flexed twisted portions back into a horizontal plane as discussed in the issued US. Pat. No. 3,l59,98$ but further applies substantially equal forces at each diagonally opposed pair of tray corners for a more uniform flexing of the tray with resultant minimal strain required to be absorbed by the tray.

A modified form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 wherein the receptacle, partially indicated at 126, has longitudinal side ledges 130 and transverse end ledges 132 which are generally horizontal with upwardly extending support ribs molded in the shape of downwardly opening channels 134, 136 formed at the approximate midpoint of the ledges 130 and 132, respectively. The support ribs 134, 136 each have upper surfaces symmetrically beveled to provide relatively small rib areas or pads 138 and 140 respectively intermediate each pair of adjacent corners formed by the junctures of ledges 130, 132 to serve as central edge supports for an inverted tray in the same manner as the supporting pads 102-105 of the receptacle 80 shown in FIGS. 1-5. in all other respects the structure and operation of the receptacle 126 is identical to the receptacle 80.

The receptacle 80 has a rectangular frame integrally formed on the bottom wall 90 providing side stringers 152, 154 and end stringers 156, 158 whereby the end stringers, shown in FIG. 4, has a greater height than the side stringers 156, 158 and each is formed with V- shaped notches 160, 162 respectively, similar to the notches 59, 60 of the tray 20. As seen in FIG. 2, showing a portion of an underlying tray 20a, the notch 160 engages the locking cam 41 of the tray to allow the receptacle 80 to stack in locked fashion on the tray 20a in a manner explained in co-pending application Ser. No. 88,388. A pair of laterally spaced transverse rails 164, 166 are also formed on bottom wall 90 of the receptacle and include U-shaped grooves 168, 170 which function in the manner of tray grooves 63, 64, explained above, to engage the longitudinal grid rib 40 of tray 20a such that if it is desired the receptacle 80 may be stacked on tray 20a resulting in the receptacle 80 being locked against sidewise movement relative to the tray 200.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is:

l. A frozen liquid harvesting combination comprising an open top rectangular receptacle having a base wall with side and end walls extending upwardly from said base wall for receiving the frozen liquid, a flexible four-cornered rectangular freezing tray provided with walls forming a plurality of compartments therein, said tray having ends and sides, said receptacle side and end walls having an outwardly directed ledge formed continuously around the upper perimeter of said side and end walls, each said side and end wall ledges including a vertically disposed tray support member intermediate each pair of adjacent corners of said receptacle, said vertically disposed support members located in a common horizontal plane, so as to define generally the four corners of a rhombic-lilte figure, said side and end wall ledges terminating at said receptacle corners in vertically disposed junctures located in a common horizontal plane spaced a defined distance below the plane of said vertically disposed tray support members, said four tray support members operative for supporting the intermediate upper edge portions of the sides and ends of the tray when in an inverted position on said receptacle, and means on said receptacle for retaining the tray against lateral movement when supported on said four support members whereby either pair of diagonally opposed unsupported tray corners can be flexed downwardly out of the horizontal plane of said support members and inwardly into contact with their associated underlying ledge junctures by a force applied adjacent either pair of the diagonally opposed tray corners for twisting the tray and distorting the compartments thereof with respect to one another to readily free the frozen bond between the tray and its frozen contents to eject said frozen contents into the interior of said receptacle.

2. A frozen liquid harvesting combination comprising an open top receptacle having a base wall with side and end walls extending upwardly from said base wall for receiving the frozen liquid, a flexible four-cornered rectangular freezing tray provided with walls forming a plurality of compartments therein, said tray having ends and sides, said receptacle side and end walls having an outwardly directed ledge formed continuously around the upper perimeter of said side and end walls, an upwardly directed flange extending continuously around the outer edge of said side and end wall ledges defining a rectangular frame, each said side and end wall ledges including a vertically disposed tray support member intermediate each pair of adjacent corners of said frame whereby said support members define generally the four corners of a rhombic-like figure, said vertically disposed support members located in a common horizontal plane, said side wall and end wall ledges terminating at said receptacle corners in vertically disposed junctures located in a common horizontal plane spaced a defined distance below the plane of said vertically disposed tray support members, said four support members operative for supporting the intermediate portion of the sides and ends of said tray in an inverted position on the receptacle, said rectangular frame confining said inverted tray against lateral movement in lid-like fashion, said tray being supported by said four support members whereby either pair of diagonally opposed unsupported tray corners can be flexed downwardly out of the horizontal plane of said support members and inwardly of said receptacle by a force applied adjacent said diagonally opposed tray corners for twisting said tray and distorting said compartments thereof with respect to one another to readily free the frozen bond between said tray and said frozen liquid to eject said frozen liquid into the interior of said receptacle.

3. A frozen liquid harvesting combination comprising an open top receptacle having a base wall with side and end walls extending upwardly from said base wall for receiving the frozen liquid, a flexible four-cornered rectangular freezing tray provided with walls forming a plurality of compartments therein, said tray having ends and sides, said receptacle side and end walls having an outwardly directed ledge formed continuously around the upper perimeter of said side and end walls, an upwardly directed flange extending continuously around the outer edge of said side and end wall ledges defining a rectangular frame, each of said side and end wall ledges having a generally gable-shaped configuration when viewed in side elevation including two opposed and angularly disposed sloping portions extending outwardly and downwardly from a tray supporting crest area at substantially equal angles whereby one of the resulting four tray supporting crest areas is located in turn intermediate each pair of adjacent corners of said rectangular frame to define generally the four corners of a rhombic-like figure, said crest areas being vertically disposed in a common horizontal plane, said side wall and end wall sloping portions terminating at the frame comers in vertically disposed junctures located in a common horizontal plane spaced a defined distance below the plane of said four vertically disposed tray supporting crest areas, said four crest areas operative for supporting the intermediate upper edge portions of the sides and ends of said tray in an inverted position on said receptacle and said rectangular frame confining said tray in lid-like fashion, said tray being supported by said four crest areas whereby either pair of diagonally opposed unsupported tray corners can be flexed downwardly out of the horizontal plane of said four crest areas and inwardly of said receptacle by a force applied adjacent either pair of the diagonally opposed tray corners for twisting said tray and distorting said compartments thereof with respect to one another to readily free the frozen bond between said tray and its frozen contents to eject said frozen contents into the interior of said receptacle.

4. A frozen liquid harvesting combination comprising an open top receptacle having a base wall with side and end walls extending upwardly from said base wall for receiving the frozen liquid, a flexible four-cornered rectangular freezing tray provided with walls forming a plurality of compartments therein, said tray having ends and sides, said receptacle side and end walls having an outwardly directed horizontally extending ledge formed continuously around the upper perimeter of said side and end walls, an upwardly directed flange extending continuously around the outer edge of said side and end wall ledges defining a rectangular frame, supporting ribs in the form of downwardly opening channels formed at the approximate midpoint of each of said ledges, the upwardly facing surface of each of said ribs providing a relatively small supporting rib area whereby one of the resulting four tray supportin rib areas IS located in turn intermediate each pair 0 adjacent corners of said rectangular frame to define generally the four corners of a rhombic-like figure, said rib areas being vertically disposed in a common horizontal plane, said side wall and end wall ledges terminating at the frame corners in vertically disposed junctures located in a common horizontal plane spaced a defined distance below the plane of said four vertically disposed tray supporting rib areas, said four rib areas operative for supporting the intermediate upper edge portions of the sides and ends of said tray in an inverted position on said receptacle and said rectangular frame confining said tray in lid-like fashion, said tray being supported by said four rib areas whereby either pair of diagonally opposed unsupported tray corners can be flexed downwardly out of the horizontal plane of said four rib areas and inwardly of said receptacle by a force applied adjacent either pair of the diagonally opposed tray comers for twisting said tray and distorting said compartments thereof with respect to one another to readily free the frozen bond between said tray and its frozen contents to eject said frozen contents into the interior of said receptacle.

i i i l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION P t 3 6 6 61: Dated 001mm? Togo InVentm-(s) Thomas H. Fogt It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2 lines 13 and +Z,"Se1. No. 13,953" should "38f, Ser. No. 88,388

Signed and sealed this 8th day of May 1973.

(SEAL) AttGESt:

EDE'JARD I-I.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A frozen liquid harvesting combination comprising an open top rectangular receptacle having a base wall with side and end walls extending upwardly from said base wall for receiving the frozen liquid, a flexible four-cornered rectangular freezing tray provided with walls forming a plurality of compartments therein, said tray having ends and sides, said receptacle side and end walls having an outwardly directed ledge formed continuously around the upper perimeter of said side and end walls, each said side and end wall ledges including a vertically disposed tray support member intermediate each pair of adjacent corners of said receptacle, said vertically disposed support members located in a common horizontal plane, so as to define generally the four corners of a rhombic-like figure, said side and end wall ledges terminating at said receptacle corners in vertically disposed junctures located in a common horizontal plane spaced a defined distance below the plane of said vertically disposed tray support members, said four tray support members operative for supporting the intermediate upper edge portions of the sides and ends of the tray when in an inverted position on said receptacle, and means on said receptacle for retaining the tray against lateral movement when supported on said four support members whereby either pair of diagonally opposed unsupported tray corners can be flexed downwardly out of the horizontal plane of said support members and inwardly into contact with their associated underlying ledge junctures by a force applied adjacent either pair of the diagonally opposed tray corners for twisting the tray and distorting the compartments thereof with respect to one another to readily free the frozen bond between the tray and its frozen contents to eject said frozen contents into the interior of said receptacle.
 2. A frozen liquid harvesting combination comprising an open top receptacle having a base wall with side and end walls extending upwardly from said baSe wall for receiving the frozen liquid, a flexible four-cornered rectangular freezing tray provided with walls forming a plurality of compartments therein, said tray having ends and sides, said receptacle side and end walls having an outwardly directed ledge formed continuously around the upper perimeter of said side and end walls, an upwardly directed flange extending continuously around the outer edge of said side and end wall ledges defining a rectangular frame, each said side and end wall ledges including a vertically disposed tray support member intermediate each pair of adjacent corners of said frame whereby said support members define generally the four corners of a rhombic-like figure, said vertically disposed support members located in a common horizontal plane, said side wall and end wall ledges terminating at said receptacle corners in vertically disposed junctures located in a common horizontal plane spaced a defined distance below the plane of said vertically disposed tray support members, said four support members operative for supporting the intermediate portion of the sides and ends of said tray in an inverted position on the receptacle, said rectangular frame confining said inverted tray against lateral movement in lid-like fashion, said tray being supported by said four support members whereby either pair of diagonally opposed unsupported tray corners can be flexed downwardly out of the horizontal plane of said support members and inwardly of said receptacle by a force applied adjacent said diagonally opposed tray corners for twisting said tray and distorting said compartments thereof with respect to one another to readily free the frozen bond between said tray and said frozen liquid to eject said frozen liquid into the interior of said receptacle.
 3. A frozen liquid harvesting combination comprising an open top receptacle having a base wall with side and end walls extending upwardly from said base wall for receiving the frozen liquid, a flexible four-cornered rectangular freezing tray provided with walls forming a plurality of compartments therein, said tray having ends and sides, said receptacle side and end walls having an outwardly directed ledge formed continuously around the upper perimeter of said side and end walls, an upwardly directed flange extending continuously around the outer edge of said side and end wall ledges defining a rectangular frame, each of said side and end wall ledges having a generally gable-shaped configuration when viewed in side elevation including two opposed and angularly disposed sloping portions extending outwardly and downwardly from a tray supporting crest area at substantially equal angles whereby one of the resulting four tray supporting crest areas is located in turn intermediate each pair of adjacent corners of said rectangular frame to define generally the four corners of a rhombic-like figure, said crest areas being vertically disposed in a common horizontal plane, said side wall and end wall sloping portions terminating at the frame corners in vertically disposed junctures located in a common horizontal plane spaced a defined distance below the plane of said four vertically disposed tray supporting crest areas, said four crest areas operative for supporting the intermediate upper edge portions of the sides and ends of said tray in an inverted position on said receptacle and said rectangular frame confining said tray in lid-like fashion, said tray being supported by said four crest areas whereby either pair of diagonally opposed unsupported tray corners can be flexed downwardly out of the horizontal plane of said four crest areas and inwardly of said receptacle by a force applied adjacent either pair of the diagonally opposed tray corners for twisting said tray and distorting said compartments thereof with respect to one another to readily free the frozen bond between said tray and its frozen contents to eject said frozen contents into the interior of said receptacle.
 4. A frozen liquid harvesting comBination comprising an open top receptacle having a base wall with side and end walls extending upwardly from said base wall for receiving the frozen liquid, a flexible four-cornered rectangular freezing tray provided with walls forming a plurality of compartments therein, said tray having ends and sides, said receptacle side and end walls having an outwardly directed horizontally extending ledge formed continuously around the upper perimeter of said side and end walls, an upwardly directed flange extending continuously around the outer edge of said side and end wall ledges defining a rectangular frame, supporting ribs in the form of downwardly opening channels formed at the approximate midpoint of each of said ledges, the upwardly facing surface of each of said ribs providing a relatively small supporting rib area whereby one of the resulting four tray supporting rib areas is located in turn intermediate each pair of adjacent corners of said rectangular frame to define generally the four corners of a rhombic-like figure, said rib areas being vertically disposed in a common horizontal plane, said side wall and end wall ledges terminating at the frame corners in vertically disposed junctures located in a common horizontal plane spaced a defined distance below the plane of said four vertically disposed tray supporting rib areas, said four rib areas operative for supporting the intermediate upper edge portions of the sides and ends of said tray in an inverted position on said receptacle and said rectangular frame confining said tray in lid-like fashion, said tray being supported by said four rib areas whereby either pair of diagonally opposed unsupported tray corners can be flexed downwardly out of the horizontal plane of said four rib areas and inwardly of said receptacle by a force applied adjacent either pair of the diagonally opposed tray corners for twisting said tray and distorting said compartments thereof with respect to one another to readily free the frozen bond between said tray and its frozen contents to eject said frozen contents into the interior of said receptacle. 